Over 100 liberal philanthropies, including those who are being targeted by the Trump administration as part of an expected crackdown after the killing of Charlie Kirk, are banding together to try and stave off attacks on the nonprofit sector.
The institutions, including the Ford Foundation and George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, on Wednesday pushed out an open letter that forcefully defended the philanthropy sector, evens its list of signers doubled as a list of the types of left-leaning charities that President Trump may target. The statement condemned political violence and any possible retribution.
“Organizations should not be attacked for carrying out their missions or expressing their values in support of the communities they serve,” the letter said. “We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize our good work or restrict our fundamental freedoms, like freedom of speech and the freedom to give. Attempts to silence speech, criminalize opposing viewpoints, and misrepresent and limit charitable giving undermine our democracy and harm all Americans.”
Following the murder of Mr. Kirk last week, the Trump administration has said it plans to crack down on nonprofits that it accuses of fostering a culture of violence, name-checking the Ford Foundation and Mr. Soros’s group. An executive order could come as soon as this week, The Times has reported.
The nonprofit sector fears that Mr. Trump could pose an existential and financial threat to them by trying to revoke organizations’ tax-exempt status.
Many progressive philanthropies have spent the opening year of Mr. Trump’s second term unsure about how to engage publicly. Some want to speak up to defend their values, but others are nervous about drawing unwanted attention from a president who often targets his enemies.
Behind the scenes, these philanthropies have spent the last several days in close touch with one another as they try to prepare for a crackdown.
The letter reveals the nonprofits who would be expected to be at the forefront of pushing back on any attacks. Its other signers include the MacArthur Foundation; the Knight Foundation; the Omidyar Network, funded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar; and the Schmidt Family Foundation, funded by the former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt.
Theodore Schleifer is a Times reporter covering billionaires and their impact on the world.
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